Urgent Climate Aid Projects Face Closure Amidst Political Turmoil

Programs aimed at combating the violent effects of climate change are under threat as the Trump administration attempts to shutter U.S.A.I.D. A federal court's intervention raises uncertainty for crucial initiatives that address conflicts driven by climate-related issues.

Numerous ongoing programs intended to curb violence, unrest, and extremism exacerbated by climate change are facing significant setbacks as the Trump administration's move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D) intensifies.

With increasing instances of heat, drought, and flooding recognized as growing security risks, defense officials from the West warn of long-term consequences tied to this instability and violence. For example, one vital project aimed to assist communities in managing water resources in Niger, known for its struggles with Islamist extremist factions driven by competition over scarce water supplies. Another initiative focused on repairing water-treatment facilities in Iraq’s Basra, where shortages had ignited violent protests against the government.

The U.S.A.I.D.'s oldest initiative, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, operated a forecasting framework to help aid workers prepare for catastrophic floods in areas like conflict-stricken South Sudan last year. However, with U.S.A.I.D.'s future in jeopardy, numerous projects now hang in the balance.

Erin Sikorsky, a former U.S. intelligence officer and current director of the Center for Climate and Security, explained the current strategy: “They were buying down future risk,” indicating how investing modestly now could mitigate significant costs later. This sentiment aligns with findings from a recent German government report labeling climate change as the “greatest security threat of our day and age,” echoing sentiments from a 2021 U.S. intelligence report identifying climate hazards as “threat multipliers.”

Additionally, U.S.A.I.D. funding previously enabled programs focused on mediating local disputes over land or water resources. With erratic rainfall patterns in the Sahel, tensions between agricultural communities and pastoralists have escalated, leading to more frequent confrontations.